Another One Bites the Dust

What more is there to say?

The important thing here is that the Caps not only got two points but as soon as they took the lead (2165 hours after the game started) they seemed to smell blood and went in for the kill. It was mercifully devoid of any extra-frame excitement, although thanks to Karri Ramo the Lightning hung in there a lot longer than they should have - don't kid yourselves, if they hang on to that youngster their goaltending woes will be a thing of the past.

While there were moments of stifled yawns and unfocused eyes (it was, after all, a Tampa game), this one was not without it's little quirks and special moments. A no-goal call put the kibosh on the Caps' quick bounceback after falling behind just 39 seconds in...and I'm no rules expert so I'll just assume the right call was made and secretly indulge in a little silent consternation that Brooks Laich was denied his 22nd. After all, we won, so who cares, right? Right. Sure.

And let's not forget the one thing that is always guaranteed entertainment when these two teams tangle: John Tortorella. Quite the mouth on that one. Only Torts causes the Caps' website to add an explicit content warning to a postgame interview. Classy, classy guy.

Classiest horse's rear I know of, that's for sure.

It should be said that Matt Cooke certainly doesn't mind those gray-area hits but his bizarro check on Lecavalier was neither cheap (Torts, that black thing there next to Vinny? That was the puck) nor carried out with intent to injure. Let's save the consternation, he who sends out goons to chase tiny Flash around the ice in the dying seconds of his season.

Of course the highlight of the night, aside from Ovechkin's history-making marker in the third, had to be Boyd Gordon's lovely backhander to put the home team up by two - and the ensuing celebration on the bench that included Ovechkin grabbing Laich in a headlock and bouncing up and down. I don't think they're having fun, do you?

One down, one more to go, kids; all eyes on the scoreboard tonight. Go Panthers, go Devils, go...regulation win.

This is about to get interesting.

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